Ornamental bronzes—which are easily cast from molds and made to simulate solid gold or, occasionally, solid silver by the application of thin layers of precious metals—were ubiquitous in the décor and furnishings of an eighteenth-century French palace, townhouse, or château. This clock, signed by one of the most admired bronze founder-chasers, Jean-Joseph de Saint Germain, has lost all of its original gilding but preserves the undulating scrolls interspersed with floral motifs that are characteristic of French rococo design at its liveliest.

[Clare Vincent, 2007]

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Signature: Case signed (on back of leg): ST Germain [Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain (1719–1791)]

Marking: Impressed on left back leg: ST GERMAIN; four attached foliate sprays at sides and top: two on left stamped G and *G* respectively, near screw holes; that on right, D; that on top, H (probably for gauche, droit, haut); corresponding marks near screw holes on main body of case.